Memorials & Funerals
Area Funeral Homes:
Christian Burial of the Dead in the Tradition of the Armenian Church:
Funeral services are permissible on all days of the year except on Sundays.
The Armenian Rite is 3-fold, consisting of;
- The Wake Service (Dan Gark), which although traditionally performed in the home of the deceased, is in America performed at the funeral home. The casket may remain open, and the priest will usually place a wafer (Nushkhar) in the hands of the deceased when possible.
- The Church Service is necessarily performed in the Armenian Church or in a church/chapel only where NO Armenian Church is available. As we are spiritually reborn from the womb (Baptismal Font) of the church, as our Mother, she naturally becomes the final place of our dismissal from this earth. In order to prevent unnecessary or inappropriate displays of behavior taking place inside the Church, the casket remains closed in the Church. There is absolutely NO permission for lay persons to speak or offer eulogies in the church. Only an ordained clergyman may speak during the Church Service.
- The Graveside Service at the cemetery. The priest will bless the earth and seal the crypt of the deceased until the glorious day of Christ's Second Coming and the Resurrection of the Dead.
A Note on Cremation: According to the canons and traditions of the Armenian Church, as well as the tenets of the Christian religion, cremation the body should be strongly discouraged. Not only was our Lord Jesus buried as was the custom of the people of God, but throughout the history of the church ONLY pagan religions practiced cremation.
Memorials:
Memorial services are traditionally requested on the 40th Day (karasoonk), the One year Anniversary (Dareleetz), subsequent anniversaries of the death and on memorial days. Memorial Days, the day following the Feast, are observed in our Diocese and parish, on the Sundays following the 5 Major Feast Days (Daghavar) Christmas, Easter, Transfiguration, Assumption and Exaltation. Memorial Request Form Click Here
Obituaries:
Mitchell Chadrjian - May 6, 2008
On Friday May 9, the family will receive friends at Shook's Cedar Grove Funeral Home at 486 Pompton Avenue (Rte 23) in Cedar Grove from 2:00pm-9:00pm.
Dan Gark (Wake or Home Service) will be at 8:00pm. at the Funeral Home, conducted by fr. Shnork Souin, pastor of St. Mary Armenian Church.
Church Service at St. Mary will begin at 11:00am Saturday May 10 with interment to follow at George Washington Cemetery in Paramus.
May God the merciful and compassionate, receive the soul of His servant Mitchell Chadrjian in the ranks of his Righteous ones at His Right Hand and grant consolation to the bereaved.
John Arakelian
The wake is on Friday April 4 from 4-8 at the church 7:30 pm is the service
and the funeral service is at 10am at the churchSaturday April 5 .
ILOF : St. Mary Armenian Church Note: Building Fund
Armine Maroukian
The visitation will be at St. Mary Armenian Church on Thursday March 27th, 5-9pm and the funeral service will be on Friday March 28th, at the church at 10am. The interment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park, Union.
The family requests donations to the St. Mary Building Fund In lieu of flowers.
Mihran Reisyan
Born: November 15, 1943 in Istanbul Turkey. Passed away on Monday March 3, 2008 in Livingston, NJ. The late husband of Vergine Reisyan.
Funeral services will take place at St. Mary Armenian Church on Wednesday March 5th at 11:30 am followed by interment at restland Cemetary and a memorial gathering in the Toufayan Hall of St. Mary Armenian Church.
